Life's Secrets
by Alex James Rook
Summary: Trapped in a castle under at least 50 feet of sand, Trevor and Rogue find themselves closer than ever. Not even an hour later, though, they couldn't be further apart.
1. Trapped secrets

**Pre-story details:**

**Trevor:** human

**Rogue:** Renamon - white with red patches.

**Bonding:** the act of creating a bond. Bonds allow the pair of individuals to share energy. However, how this energy flows is not a matter of will but emotion. Upon bonding, a single thought goes through each individual's mind. When the pair experiences the emotion they "thought", energy flows into that individual. The stronger emotion overrides the weaker one and the stronger they are experiencing the emotion, the greater the flow of energy is. Because of the nature of this flow, the two emotions are usually opposites. (E.G. Cowardice and Bravery)_Relevant bond:_ Trevor (hate)-Rogue (Love)

* * *

Darkness filled Trevor's eyes. He didn't want to open his eyes, his sleep had been comfortable. He didn't want to lose the beautiful world his mind had created for him. They were all there; all the ones he had lost.

_Wait…They're all there. No! Not him, anyone but him. I don't want him back. Stay away! It's not my fault! _"IT'S NOT MY FAULT!" Trevor yelled, sweat covering him from the 5 seconds that nightmare lasted.

The ringing finally came to a halt. Trevor wasn't sure when it had started but he knew where it came from. With the fortress's sudden sinking, he quickly found himself in crashing into the ceiling. With the force of the collision, he was knocked clean out. It could have been days since that event had happened.

Resisting the urge to return to sleep, he pushed himself off the ground and opened his eyes. The cold granite felt nice under his hand. He examined the grains imbedded in the material before finally examining the rest of his surroundings.

He was still in the entrance of the Fortress. The door was shut, probably sealed as it had been when they entered. Looking to either side of it, the windows were filled to the top with dirt. There was little help the door would be usable even if they could open it.

"We're trapped in," Trevor muttered to himself as he placed his hands at his hips and considered the situation. His eyes widened and heart sunk as the realization sank in. "We're trapped in!"

Before he could even begin his search, an interior door burst open and a red and white blur burst out. Rogue flung herself on the nearest window and began desperately scratching the glass. She knew it was pointless but her instincts wouldn't let her do otherwise. With this window checked for the 12th time, she rushed to the next once and began pounding her fist on it.

"Rogue!" Trevor hollered. She froze but a twitch remained; a desperate plea to free her from this prison. Trevor took a step forward as he add "It's okay; we're safe here."

Rogue collapsed to her knees but couldn't take her eyes off the window. She was worn out and tired, but couldn't sleep. Just staying still was almost beyond her capabilities.

Trevor approached slowly. Nervous about startling Rogue and starting her on her mad search for freedom again. He kept speaking soothingly to her, keeping her calm with a familiar voice. He would have been amazed at how well this was going. Last time he had to hide from her till after she had half killed herself.

"It's alright, I'm here for you," Trevor said as he lightly put his hand on Rogue's shoulder. There was a flash of terror in her eye and Trevor barely had time to blink.

Next thing he knew, Trevor was lying on his back, at least 20 feet away. Ignoring the pain, he pressed himself up to see Rogue standing, pressed against the wall, staring dead at him. There was something different though, something in her eyes. "Trevor?" He could barely hear it but that was definitely what was said.

"Trevor! Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" Again, Rogue collapse, burying her face into her hand and those into her knees. She couldn't look at Trevor, couldn't face what she had done. But to stop thinking about it for a second, she dared not to. Again, Rogue felt a hand lay on her shoulder and then on the other as well. "It's alright," a voice said. "I know you're scared."

After a second of near-motionless silence, Rogue's hands sprung out again, causing a flash of fear in Trevor. The formed the best grip they could on him and violently yanked him closer. Again she started muttering apologies, unaware of the discomfort she was inflicting on him.

Trevor smiled unconcerned with his own state as he began to gently stroke her head, shushing her between whispered forgiveness. It took a while but she was finally able to calm down to a quiet shiver and only occasional claws of terror.

Trevor rolled away a bit, dragging Rogue with him. He sat with Rogue on top of him; her face buried his chest, trying to hide from her fear. He tried to coax her into talking but she refused to respond to anything, aside from adding new scratches to his back.

Finally, Trevor let out a big sign, giving up on the idea of listening to her problems. It was a curious affair, that she could be so afraid of closed spaces. Their cage was literally the size of a castle, but all she could think about was escape. There was no way out and that's all she needed to know. What could have caused such a great fear? Was there a cause?

"You know I'm afraid of something too," Trevor muttered. There was no response. "It's not closed spaces, or heights, or any normal fear like that. Deathly afraid; I have nightmare of it." The shivering stopped but Trevor was too far into his recollection to notice.

"Who is he?"

Trevor chortled a bit. "So you already know?"

"I've heard you in your sleep. You always say 'I don't want him back. It's not my fault.' Who is he? Why are you afraid of him?"

"Guess I already knew my answer. You've asked before but I never wanted to tell anyone. My therapist always said it was a guilty conscious. I've never done anything wrong, but neither did my dad.

"I've never told anyone this. Some people know but it's because they have the medical records, the police reports, everyone else's story, but they never knew mine. 9 years of therapy, I never said a word."

There was a period of silence. Rogue didn't say a word but had moved her head, positioning it to look at Trevor. He prepared himself for the hardest story he would ever tell to the only person he ever would.

"In our world, we celebrate a thing called a birthday, marking our success in surviving life for another year. The day was supposed to be my seventh. There was a party planned, guest invited, and present to open. My mother couldn't attend as she was in the hospital, getting ready to add another member to our family. Neither I nor my twin could wait for it, not letting it damper the mood at all. Then the phone rang.

"Our dad answered, as was the policy in our house. I could see the look on his face as it slowly turned sour. He slammed the phone and rushed to the nearest adult. He whispered something and rushed away. I didn't know what was going on but I knew it was bad…I just didn't know how bad yet.

"There was a complication in the birth. The baby wasn't going to make it. My mom said to do whatever it took to save him but nothing worked and it left my mother a wreck. 2 weeks later, we had a funeral for both of them.

"My younger sister had been sick since she was 2. It was a bit of an auto-immune disease that seemed to fluctuate with her emotions. When she heard about what happened to mom, she dropped on the spot and hasn't gotten up since. Honestly, I pray she never does as she'd die if she found out what all happened.

"My older sister turned to drugs. She didn't care what they did; she just wanted to forget about reality. My brother took to a gang; people he could turn to since our dad had to take a second job to support Krista's medical bill. It was three days before anyone realized Jessie had overdose on drugs and Alex was never home anymore.

"Alex didn't show back up until the day after the house caught fire. The source was found to be from the old furnace we had. I was only 8; I didn't know what to do. My dad came home to me sitting on the front lawn of a pile of ash, my twin brother lost in the fire. I always said he wasn't dead, but he hasn't been seen since.

"We moved to a small apartment; just the 3 of us. My brother and dad started fighting almost daily. Sometimes it was just words; sometimes more. I often snuck out my window and hid away on the roof, only being found the next day.

"On the anniversary of when the trail of disaster began, I woke up to hear them fighting again. I was a little more used to it and got closer to hear what it was about this time. It was the usual; my brother was blaming my dad for everything. I prayed it would come to a quick end. I wish I prayed for a good one…."

Trevor pressed closed his eyes and began asking for this stupid fight to end.

"It's all your fault! If you hadn't wanted another stupid kid, this never would've happened!"

"How could we possibly have known that was going to happen? I certainly didn't want it to happen!"

"No, but it's your fault it did! And because you killed her, the others are now gone too!"

"Don't say that! Trevor's still here! And Krista and Tristan are still alive!"

"Only Trevor believes he's alive! You hear the cops! The only foot…." Trevor plugged his ears for a while, unwilling to hear the horrible truth everyone kept telling him. After a few seconds, Trevor pulled a finger out. He was cautious for the horrible content but what he heard was far worse.

"What are you doing with that? Put it down before you hurt someone!"

"No! You've hurt enough people! I'm put an end to that now! You're never going to hurt another person."

For the next few seconds, Trevor couldn't accept reality. He could still feel the door he had pressed his head against but he couldn't hear anything, the bang seemed to deafen everything that came after it. All he could hear was it echoing in his own skull.

Slowly, Trevor pushed the door open. He found his Brother, sitting in a chair, staring wide-eyed across the room, like he was suffering from disbelief as well. Trevor dared not push the door open even the smallest amount, afraid of what he'd see.

"You heard all of that, didn't you?" Alex asked, not even turning his head. He had a grin on his face, like he was about to chuckle but there was no real reason to. A handgun was loosely held in his hand, just firm enough to keep it aloft.

"Run next door, call the police. You know our address, right?" Alex continued. Not moving anything but his mouth, not breaking eye contact with his work. Trevor feebly nodded but he doubted it was even noticed. "Like it matters, someone's probably already called after the gun shot. Just…tell them to send an ambulance."

Trevor couldn't bring himself to move for a few seconds. Just before he could finally break out of the shock, he saw Alex's grip on the gun tighten. Shock overwhelmed Trevor again. As the hand continued its movement and Alex spoke, Trevor bolted, not wanting to see any more of the room.

"MAKE IT TWO!"

"So you're afraid of Alex?" Rogue asked.

Trevor nodded lightly. "It's crazy; I know it's crazy but I fear what he'd do if he found me. That he'll blame me for everything just like he blamed my father. That it'll be my turn to stand there with the gun in my face. I'm not sure if I'd start saying sorry for things for things I didn't do or if I could bring myself to stop him.

"The worst part is that I know he's dead. I saw my dad carried out with his face visible; the bullet was in his chest, so there was no need to hide it. But my brother…I saw the body. They covered him from head to toe but I know it was him. He had put the bullet in his head; there's no way he could be alive. There's no way he could be…."

Trevor had started lose control of himself. For the first time, his fears were affecting his conscious hours. All he could do was deny any chance his brother was still alive. His rambling was not allowed to last long.

Rogue sat up and slapped Trevor. His pupils contracted and color began to return to his face. He didn't react for a bit, shocked and embarrassed by what had occurred. As he realized what he had become, he started to chuckle a bit.

"See? That's a bit how I feel! We're both worry over something silly. At least yours has something to back it up. We'll eventually run out air to breath if they don't get us out of here in time."

"It's not dying I fear," Rogue informed him. Initially, she just looked down. After about a second, she lies back down against Trevor.

Trevor waited silently for Rogue to continue but that never happened. He wanted to push her for the information. For once, he had her calm and talking about it for once. In the end, he decided that was a bad idea and leaned his head back in frustration.

"Even if my brother did live, he'd have been carted off to jail for killing my Dad. Not sure how long that would have lasted but my sentence was permanent. I was sent to live in an orphanage till someone came to take me as their own. The personality I developed made sure that didn't happen.

"I hated people because I felt that they always abandoned me; that if I formed any kind of bond with someone, they would die or go away. In turn, everyone came to avoid me. I made sure I stayed where I wanted to be the least. Where no one cared about me and I wouldn't be loved."

"But you're not there anymore," Rogue stated. "All of us care about you as you care about all of us, and don't say you don't care about us!"

"When you met me, you wanted me to leave you alone but I wouldn't. Then we met Michael and Michelle, and Jason and you wouldn't leave them. You wouldn't abandon them and they wouldn't abandon you."

"What about at Datamon's castle?" Trevor inquired. "I let them go on without me and they left me behind."

"You sacrificed yourself with hope that they'd finally make it home and we returned for you." Rogue answered. "I sooner than the rest but they found the gate home and still came back to get you. You don't want them to lose their families like you did. You don't have to worry about that anymore though."

"Why not?"

"Because they've formed a new family. You, Michael, Michele, Ashley, and Jason are all a family now."

"Then what does that make you?"

"What do you want me to be?"

Trevor didn't respond immediately. He mulled the question over in his mind, his face contorting as he thought about it. "I don't know. I used to just think of you as an ally, maybe even a friend though we seemed to never get along. You always wanted to know more about me and I always wanted to know more about you but neither of us wanted to talk. But now…"

Again, Trevor's face twisted as he tried to wrap his head around what his feelings. "Did you mean it?"

"Yes," Rogue answered without hesitation.

"But are you sure?" Trevor asked. "I mean, you also told me that love is what gives you our shared power. What if you really just love me because it means you'll get more power."

"That's what I thought at first, too," Rogue calmly stated. Now, it was her unwavering calm that was helping him. "When we first became bound, I was embarrassed by the emotion set upon me, but a new worry took over. I shut my heart from the world long ago but it was asking me to undo the lock. I refused, but neither the universe nor my heart believed that lie.

"I found you as a weak, confused individual, lying on the ground with not a clue where he was but not a care about it. At that moment, I saved you, picking a fight with a creature with double our combined strength and able to withstand being hit with a mountain. You didn't give it a second thought though and charged in to help me in return.

"It took time, but I came to realize you weren't weak, but are, perhaps, the strongest individual I will ever meet. No matter how the odds were stacked against you, you refuse to lose what mattered to you and would do anything for those you care about. You have the courage to face any challenge and the will to defeat it. Even now, in the face of sheer doom, you still would rather worry for me and fear what will happen to you."

"We're not facing sheer doom," Trevor responded. "They're coming for us."

"And then what?" Rogue asked. "We couldn't open the door when it was on the surface. You think it'll be any different now that it's under 50 feet of sand?"

"They'll find a way," Trevor declared. "We're trapped in here now so they'll do whatever it takes to get us out. Harry obviously has a thing for you."

"Oh, don't remind me. Every time we're alone he's asking me to get with him. What about you? I think I've allowed you to dodge the question long enough. Do you have a thing for me?"

Trevor let out a sigh of defeat. Mentioning Harry was probably a poor choice of tactics. "I like you," He finally stated. "I'm not sure if I love you, I'm still finding _that_ idea strange. I mean, we're not even the same species. I didn't even realize you were female till you said you loved me."

"You mean to tell me my shape didn't give it away?"

Trevor blushed and looked away as Rogue placed her hand on her breasts. "Call me blind but I hardly noticed. I mean, I saw that you were but it never really hit me. It was more an afterthought in the back of my head. I didn't want to find people I liked; love was the least of my interests."

"Then what were you looking for?"

Trevor's twitched a bit with discomfort. "Death…"

"Don't say that!"

"But it's true!"

"No, it can't have been. If it was, you could have just killed yourself."

"With everyone I had cared about gone, I just want the same thing to happen to me to become another memorial of the cruelties of life. So much for being brave and willful; the one thing I truly wanted, I was too afraid to face and unwilling to just let it happen."

Silence filled the air. Discomfort had spread to Rogue and now both awkwardly stared away. Gathering her courage, Rogue turned back to him. "What about now? Is it still what you want?"

"No…" Trevor stated after a short pause. "I guess you're right. I'd do everything in my power to protect them. I do care about them. I care about you."

Trevor stared into Rogue's eyes as she looked back at him. Not a word was said as they enjoyed the intimacy. Suddenly, she stood up, grabbing his hand and pulling him along with him. "Come on."

Rogue half-dragged Trevor upstairs, though he did attempt to keep up. Upon going upstairs, she shoved him into a room before providing further instructions. "There are clothes in the closet. If we're going to die, we might as well be dressed nice." Rogue slammed the door shut behind him. He shrugged, deciding she was right.

Trevor pulled out a couple items and examined them, doing his best to assemble a good looking outfit. When it was complete, he quickly removed his current clothes and set them aside before putting on his new entourage. Once complete, he left the room to find Rogue waiting across the hall from him.

"What do you think?" Rogue asked as she twirled in her dress. "Matches my eyes, Right?"

'If I didn't know any better,' Trevor thought to himself. 'I'd think that last question was deliberate.' "It looks amazing on you." He stated, trying to avoid the later question.

Rogue stared straight at him. "But do they match my eyes. You do know what color they are, don't you?" Her blinking had momentarily halted as did his best to guess what hue they were.

"Blue?"

"You are color blind."

"Green," Trevor said, making another attempt. It was futile, though; he had been discovered.

"Why do you try so hard to hide it?"

"I don't like to admit to weakness. I've had to live on my own for so long, having one known is almost suicide. I was picked on before they knew I had that problem. That didn't stop happening till I decided I wasn't going to let them beat me up anymore."

"And that's when you learned to fight."

"I didn't need to, at first. Couple years of letting them had made me one tough kid. No amount of punches or kicks could bring me down but just a flick on their forehead and they went tumbling down. Then they realized they couldn't take me on along and I had to learn to take them out quickly or become quickly overwhelmed. Even after they came to truly fear me, I still practiced."

"You can take of the suit now. I was just using it as an excuse to pull that out of you."

"Actually, I kind of like it," Trevor stated as he struck a pose. It was a simple suit with just some dark green pants and equally dark blue jacket. Beneath the jacket was a plain white shirt and some dark black shoes added a nice complement to the outfit. "Granted, it's something I wouldn't like to fight in, but it's fits very well."

"I'll have to help you find the right jacket later then."

Trevor let out something of a mumble before unbuttoning the jacket and tossing aside. "What shall we do now?"

Rogue gave a small shrug. "You've gotten to experience my world, why don't you tell me about yours?"

"I guess you didn't understand a lot of what I was saying back then."

"I understood enough."

Trevor spent several hours talking to Rogue about the things of his world. She occasionally interrupted with curious questions that Trevor didn't hesitate to answer. Finally, the conversation started to come to a halt. His universe seemed to have been fully discussed.

"So…." Rogue started to say.

"I'm still not sure," Trevor responded before Rogue could finish. "But I do know I care more about you than I will do anyone else."

They weren't the words Rogue was hoping for, but they were a hope. No further words were spoken as the two stared into each other's eyes. After a few moments, they closed their eyes and leaned forward.

Trevor felt his eyes burn as a bright light erupted behind his eye lids. He flinched but quickly brought himself to open his eyes. Rogue had become engulfed by the light which still hurt to look directly at. "Renamon digivolve to…"

As the light faded, Rogue was revealed in her new form. Human-like head hair had formed and wrapped itself into a tight bun. A pair of thin-rimmed glasses appeared on her face and a book in her right hand. Her dress had been replaced with a stark white blouse and skirt that stretched just past her knees. "Instructomon."

Rogue looked around with a mixture of confusion and excitement. In this case, the transformation was almost more of a mental change than a physical one. Her sense had been enhanced, allowing her to pick up subtler information, even information on things you couldn't detect. She really was seeing the world through different eyes.

Trevor was shocked by the sudden change that had happened before him. For a second, he wondered what brought on this sudden change. As he remember what he was recently found out, his mind almost shattered from all the thoughts running through it.

Rogue had been examining each door, seeing a short list of details appearing next to each as she came to focus on it. "Material: Wood. Destructible: No. Room: Trevor's room." Each room had a different name but that's what she found to be the strange thing. Each was for a different person that was part of the group they normally traveled with.

Finally Rogue's eyes came to look at Trevor. She was almost too distracted by the notes she was seeing to notice his actual position. "Kinect Sensitive? The ability to…Wow his energy is…oh my…"

"I knew it!" Trevor yelled as he pushed himself up. Confusion was evident on his face but Rage was a far more apparent. "You didn't care about me at all! You just wanted my power!"

"No, it's not…" Rogue tried to explain but he didn't care.

With an aggressive wave of his hand, he began to walk away. "That's just cruel; letting me think that you actually cared. That, for once, someone cared."

The last line was more of a mutter, barely picked up by Rogue's keen ears. Worry consumed Rogue; She wanted to explain herself but another thought raced through her mind. 'If I examine the door before I change back I…' She stopped mid-step. "I'd be just what he thinks I am…" She looked back and forth between the two options she had formed in her mind. Making up her mind, she walked to her destination.


	2. Opening Up

**Pre-chapter details:**

**Michael and Ashley: **Humans though Ashley has an affinity for light energy allowing her to heal allies.

**Mysticmon: **Nearly human except for having 6 arms. Also a light energy user but she sees prophesies of the future. Her most prevalent one is that she prophesied a human would show up and destroy the world. She believes Trevor will become this human. Thus, she seal He and Rogue (and the castle (and her power)) under 50 feet of sand, using a last resort ability of hers.

**Harry: **Another Renamon; Brown with Black patches. Bound with Michael (Harry = trust / Michael = Doubt). I feel there's something else I need to mention here but I forgot what it is...

* * *

_Darkness; that's all there was; that's all there will be. You have been prophesized to be the one who shall bring it. Though now you may feel its presence now, it will disappear, as it always does in the light. But you will fix it! You shall buster the darkness so that we may be strong in the presence of light. You will give us our salvation and their destruction. Only through you, shall we be free. Now, rise. Rise and show them your glory!_

It had taken over a week, but their efforts were finally going to pay off. A large hole had now been formed within the desert where one had stood a large, bold castle. The hole had a single flat side, formed from the castle itself right where the large entrance was. They had to make the hole little extra wide as the doors opened outward.

"Phew," Michael sighed. "That took forever. It didn't help that Miss Genocide wouldn't help us find the door.

"I do not wish for the extinction of your species; I only wish for you to removal from our world as a means to protect it," Mysticmon declared.

"Right, that's why you sealed our friend in a castle under a ton of sand?" Michael retaliated.

"Speaking of, we might want to hurry up and open the door, who knows how much longer they have." Ashley stated trying to get the two back on track; not that Mysticmon had helped out much in the first place, but it succeeded with Michael.

Give a gesture to his partner for assistance, Michael slipped is fingers into the small gap between the doors. Harry reading to pull on the door's matching pair. On a count, the 3 did their best to pull the door outward, much to Mysticmon's amusement.

"Alright, how does the door work?" Michael asked.

"It doesn't at the moment." Mysticmon stated.

Michael's eyes lit up. "What do you mean it doesn't work at the moment?!"

"Not even the greatest of attacks will force those doors open," Misticmon stated. "However, given the slightest touch of light energy and…" she froze mid-sentence a loud creaking filled the air. She paused, mouth ajar and opening further as she watched the doors open themselves. A look of self-disappointment washed over her as she realized what she had done. "I used a door that can only be opened with light energy to lock up a something that can use it."

As the door opened enough for someone to move in, Trevor marched out. Rogue followed slowly, her head lowered to look at the ground. Her tail left a distinctive trail as it dragged across the ground.

"I told you not to follow me! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Trevor yelled as he picked up Rogue walking directly behind him. She halted as Trevor began to climb out of the hole.

"What happened in there?" Harry inquired.

Rogue looked at the speaker but didn't answer. She turned back to Trevor who was nearing the top. "Just…" She started as she turned back to Harry, "Stay here. I'll bring him back." With one strong leap, Rogue made it to the top of the hill and followed Trevor as he marched away.

The 4 that remained all looked at each other with a bit of confusion. A single thought ran through _most_ of their minds. "We're following them, right?" Michael asked.

"Well, duh!" Ashley stated as she began to attempt climbing. Harry gave her assistance, launching to the top in a fashion similar to Rogue. It took some convincing of Mysticmon but she eventually left with them.

Trevor quickly moved into a nearby forest. Lush trees of blue/green leaves formed a canopy of his head and contained all but a few beams of the bright sunlight. Those few beams revealed the livid grass beneath his feet. Though crushed by the soles of his feet, they sprung back up, as if given new life.

Trevor tried to ignore the nagging sensation. He'd already asked Rogue to go many times but she still followed. Not only that, but the rest were quickly catching up as well.

"I said…" Trevor said as he turned towards his stalker. "Leave me alone!" With a thrust of his palm, a large cone of ice burst from the ground.

Rogue jumped high and away, as Trevor knew she was more than capable of. She landed gracefully near the tip and looked at him. "When I first found you lost in a new world, I told you I would never leave you. My reasons may be different now, but I will adhere to that promise till you go back to your world."

"I'm not going back to my world!" Trevor yelled. "I've said it to Datamon, I've said it to Mysticmon, and you were there both times! I trusted you enough to tell you why but now I know I shouldn't have."

"I meant everything I ever said. I never played with your emotions!"

"That's not what you said right before you said you loved me!"

"That was different! You would have died if I didn't and I made you HATE me. She said I could leave, I didn't have to save you as well."

"But you wouldn't want to lose your source of power."

"Who becomes the mindless animal you think I am when he gets it; or did you forget that you've tried to kill me twice now."

Trevor was caught off-guard by the comment. His rage had blinded him again, causing him to only see its source, loosing awareness of even his own actions.

The area was covered in ice. The floor was a solid sheet for nearly 100 feet around. Spikes stuck out of almost every tree and snow fell from the branches. _'and I've only tried _twice_!' _Trevor thought to himself.

He couldn't believe he was the source of all of this. Now he was lost, looking around in the confusion inflicted by himself. He had always been proud of his ability to keep track of everything in his environment but now he couldn't keep track of himself.

Hidden within a small bush nearby, a small voice mused to itself. "A human did all of that? He'd certainly make a tasty meal but how will I get near him.

"If you really can't trust me though," Rogue stated, drawing Trevor's attention back to her. Trevor removed his hand from her throat and stepped back a few steps, worried of what he'd do next. He stared at his hand, trying to rub the cold claws away.

Rogue didn't seem to react much aside from landing in place and continuing, "we could break the bond formed between us."

Trevor looked up surprised. Could it really be that simple to fix? Could they remove the bond, and thus remove all confusion from their little drama? Out of sight, a grin appeared on their observer.

"In binding," Rogue stated as she approached Trevor, "we share a little of our energy, forming a beacon for the flow to follow. In separating, we remove that energy, and lose all connection to each other."

As Rogue drew near, Trevor took a nervous step back. Rogue halted, saying nothing but allowing him his final thoughts to himself.

Trevor looked down at his hands. They were his now, but Rogue was right; the bond was wrecking him more mentally than emotionally. Every time he digivolved, he was consumed by the very hate that allowed it. Still, he didn't want to sever his bond with her, but it would be for the same reason he had come to hate her.

With a deep breath, Trevor step forward and stuck out his chest, expecting Rogue to place her hand on his chest as before. Instead, He felt his hand dragged to her chest, and places upon the soft fur. He could feel the hairs between his fingers and blushed as he realize what was in close proximity. "This is your choice. You must make it."

Trevor remember the feeling from last time. The burn he had felt as Rogue had given him more than a little of her energy. He could tell what it felt like to her but he imagined it was similar to what he felt now.

Trevor wasn't sure if it was the removal of Rogue's fire energy or the return of his own ice energy. All warmth seemed to seep out of his body. He felt like he was in a cool, damp cave and the last torch had just gone out. Worse, it felt like all hope was gone; like life had lost all meaning again.

As Trevor stepped away in despair, a silent observer found this to be the perfect time to attack. With a wild laugh and a burst of speed, a small, fuzzy creature rushed towards them. Though he appeared to be a sphere roughly a foot wide, he was wield a rather large hammer, large even by human standards. Getting close enough, it swung the weapon with a huge force belied by its small size.

Trevor narrowly dodged, pushing Rogue back to ensure she made it as well. The hammer struck the ground with great force, shattering the dirt beneath it and crushing the grass in such a way that it couldn't spring back. Rogue stole Trevor's momentum and used it to lea away, putting distance between them and the sudden enemy. Trevor was left continuing a string of close escapes. Luckily, he didn't have to delay for long as Harry stepped in.

In his Champion form, Houndmon, Harry was able to move the earth, while remaining stable on 4 paws. While caught off guard by a sudden attack, Piximon quickly recovered and began putting up a fight. Unfortunately, with an ultimate level opponent, Harry found himself having a hard time keeping up. "Get in there!" Ashley insisted to Mysticmon.

"Why should I?" Mysticmon declared with a harrumph. "If I just let him go, he'll get rid of the one destined to destroy the world."

"We know about your prophesy but we've told you he's not a part of it. Besides, he'll have to get through harry first. Are you willing to sacrifice your own kind to protect it from him?"

Mysticmon paused. Surely, the whole world wouldn't die protecting him, but the point went beyond that. Could she be as vile as she claimed Trevor to be? Although, if she helped harry, she would, in turn, destroy Piximon.

No, she wouldn't. Piximon would just convert to digidust and return to his home server where he would regenerate. He would only be destroyed if Harry destroyed and then absorbed Piximon. The only way for this to be stopped was for her to defeat Piximon and then stop harry from absorbing him.

And so, Mysticmon threw herself into the fray. Even with the two of them, Piximon's speed and strength still outpaced them. It didn't help that Mysticmon's power source was the buried castle so her powers wouldn't return until it resurfaced itself. However, between, the six-armed woman, pillars of earth bursting from the ground, and the occasional fireball from Rogue, Piximon couldn't get himself into the position he needed for the final blow.

Trevor, though, watched intently, examining every move and ability used by the 4. He picked up on how they fought and reacted to each other. However, one variable made his calculations even harder. Deciding to rush conclusions to make up for it, Trevor rushed to Rogue's side.

"Charge him." Trevor instructed. Rogue's eyes grew from the shock. For her species, she was rather slow and not meant for direct combat. "Trust me. We're running out of time, he's analyzing you're abilities faster than I can, but I think we can catch him off guard."

Piximon peered a curious eye at the two conversing but quickly dodged as another piece of earth spiked out of the ground. He watched Rogue start to move but the human held her back. "So that's your plan," he mumbled to himself with a chortle. He side-stepped a hefty 6 handed ground pound.

"Now," Trevor whispered, giving her a small push.

As instructed, Rogue rushed forward, hoping Trevor's plan would come together. She was rushing at his back, out of his sight. To further distract him, Mysticmon had launched into a flurry of punches. But her attack was all but unexpected.

As Rogue went to take the final steps, Piximon made a sudden flash backwards. She could now feel his presence behind her as he pulled his hammer back to attack, a wide smile on his face. She barely had time to turn her head and watch fate meet her in time.

The hammer slowed though, giving her time to get out of the way. To both her and Piximon's surprise, the hammer came to a complete halt. Standing in the path of his attack, Trevor stood, with an arm lying limp at his side. His source of power was supposed to be gone but he survived that blow.

That moment of shock was all Trevor needed. With his good hand, he quickly grasped the weapon just below the head and kicked the small pest away. As planned, the weapon slipped out of his hand, removing his key implement.

"How'd you survive that?" Piximon demanded. "You're just a human!"

"Trust me, that's not the first time he's heard that?" Harry declared.

"What were you thinking?" Rogue begged. "I thought you were done being suicidal!"

"You charged right at him, too."

"Because you told me to trust you and this is how you use that trust?"

"It doesn't matter!" Piximon declare. Everyone turned towards him and took up defensive positions. Trevor moved to swing the hammer around, readying it in case of a steady approached. Instead, he almost fell over as he found his hands to be empty.

With a quick look around, Trevor found the weapon to be back in its owner's possession. "I'll just kill you all."

As he moved to rush forward again, a firm hand grasped him from behind. While normally nothing to him, the mere surprise was enough to allow the catch. More hands emerged, stripping his weapon from him again. A string of inappropriate words spewed from his mouth as, again, his kill was taken from him.

"You're time is up!" Mysticmon declared as she returned the weapon in a rather painful manner. Upon contact, the data holding Piximon broke apart forming a small cloud of dust that dissipated into the rest of the air.

Harry grinned at their victory as he approached. However, he soon found himself uncomfortably close to the abandoned weapon. "Leave it alone," Mysticmon ordered. "It's not for us to claim the powers of others."

"It's no one's power now." Harry declared. "And if we don't take it, he'll just come after us again."

"Humph! Typical mortal logic; it's as backwards as your bonding is!"

"Excuse me?"

"You say that he's dead but that he'll come back. So which is he?"

"Both!" And so the argument went. The outcome mattered little as Mysticmon had successfully stopped him. The others all watched shortly but Rogue soon lost interest.

With the opponent gone, she rushed to Trevor and gave him a firm hug. "I know you think your stronger than the world but promise me you'll never do that again!"

Trevor chuckled a bit. "You know I would never keep such a promise."

"Just please promise my you won't," Rogue declared as she pushed Trevor back though still she maintained a firm hold. "I really do care about you! I always have and I always will. I just wish you could trust me again."

Trevor didn't respond immediately, just looked away and frowned. Rogue mimicked him a bit before letting go and stepping away. "I want to," Trevor declared after a couple steps, causing her to freeze. "It's just, I hadn't trusted anyone in years, and when I finally do, I immediately felt like I was betrayed. I…believe you, now. I just…I can't trust you again. Not yet."

No further words were spared between the two. After standing in silence for about a minute, Rogue finally continue her journey back. Trevor remained still a bit longer before finally stepping back and falling onto a tree. He continued to lean against it, not moving an inch.

"Should we do something about them?" Michael asked.

"In my honest opinion," Mysticmon responded. "You should leave them alone. They'll work this all out eventually. Feel free to mettle and mess things up, though. Then I might not have to kill him eventually." Michael let out a bit of a growl before stepping off to follow Rogue. Mysticmon soon followed.

"Um guys, what about Trevor?" Ashley asked. "We can't just leave him out here by himself. What if another digimon comes along?"

"He'd probably kill it," Harry declared. "But if it makes you feel better, I'll stay here and watch him till he's ready to join the rest of us again. Run along and join the others, I'll be back in a bit."

Ashley was still a bit nervous but finally nodded and ran after the others. Harry watched her leave before turning back to Trevor and approaching him. Trevor was now sitting on the ground clutching his broken arm that everyone had forgotten about. Sub-consciously, he was feeling the bones within, identifying exactly how they were damaged.

Suddenly, almost without warning, Trevor transformed back into a renamon, his pre-dominant brown fur almost blended with the forest around him. He cursed loudly but continued his slow approach on Trevor.

Opting to sit down next to Trevor, Harry began to voice his complaint. "Man, binding may have its benefits, but this waxing and waning of energy is incredibly annoying. It's like I never can tell how much energy I'll have going into a fight or that it'll even remain at that level throughout the fight. I always secretly fear that I'll just lose all my energy and collapse right there. It doesn't help that trust is my fuel.

"Heck, I almost would prefer I wasn't bound sometimes. At least then, when I digivolve naturally, I'll know I'm going to stay that way." A short distance away, Ashley returned just within earshot of the two. She had remembered that Trevor was injured and that he may like the healing abilities she possessed. However, as Harry's words became clearer, her interest became piqued so she halted to eavesdrop.

"Then why don't you just break the bond with Michael," Trevor stated. Harry gave him a frankly confused look, like the idea he present was complete lunacy. "What, can't you rebind with him if you feel you need it?"

"I supposed you could bind to a person again if you broke the bond you had but there'd have to be a way to break the bond first. The latter is just impossible; there's no way to do it. Once you form a bond, it's a lifelong commitment; like those marriages from your world."

"That's a bad example; those get broken all the time."

"Really? Michael told me they last forever, even after death. Well, then, I'm sorry, they're not the same as marriages. Once a bond is formed, you're stuck with them as a friend forever."

Trevor found himself confused. He didn't want to believe it; Rogue had seemed so sincere but what motive did Harry have to lie to him. He had been sitting here for minutes, trying to convince himself she was worth trusting but was her plan all along; to lead him into the same mistakes all over again?

"Well, I'm going to head back and join the others," Harry declared. "Are you going to come with or would you like to just sit here by yourself a bit longer?"

"I think I'll just need a few more minutes."

Harry shrugged and continued on his way. Ashley, on the other hand, panicked, knowing she wasn't supposed to hear the whole exchanged. Or was she; maybe it was Rogue who was lying. But she was so nice, how could she possibly be the liar? Why was Harry doing this?

After her small mental tirade, Ashley found herself face to face with Harry. He was staring unblinkingly at her, but with a similar confused look to earlier. The look made her worry that she had begun talking to herself and now he knew everything.

"You're here about Trevor's arm, aren't you?" Harry finally mentioned. Nervously, Ashley slowly nodded. "Alright. Be prepared, though; at this rate, we might have to drag him back."

Ashley watched Harry walk away for a bit. He didn't seem to care in the slightest that she was care. Could this mean he actually meant what he said? Could he really be telling the truth?


	3. Playing with Fire

_Perhaps it is destiny; that the prophet must always fight that which she foresees, though she knows not what it means. They demand visions of the future but must always shun what the future is. Perhaps it is because they only catch a tiny glimpse, a peek into what is to come. If only you knew, what came after; what comes of it. You fear that which you should praise for your own lack of knowledge._

_This child will destroy the world, as have others before him. You may try to prevent it, but, in doing so, you will only add to it. The damage that must be reverse has accumulated, and grown beyond simple repairs. To start fresh is the only hope left or the world will surely destroy itself, without its savior present._

_Alas, if only you could hear our whispered thought. If only you dreamed of the knowledge we wish to show. If only you listened when we first shared our prophesy. Maybe, your self-destructive path could be brought to an end. Now, we can only hope, you realize what must be done before it can't be._

"Can I ask you a question?" Ashley asked as she caught up with Mysticmon.

She was currently infuriated by the fact the others had decided to choose rooms as if they'd be taking up residency in **her** castle. After a few seconds of being ignored, Ashley finally decided she had enough and gave the digimon a hard kick. Reluctantly, Mysticmon decided to give the human her full attention.

Reverting back to her sweet side, Ashley spoke with an innocent voice as if nothing had happened. "Can I ask you a question?"

Mysticmon made some angry gestures as she restrained starting a tantrum but collected herself. "About what?"

"That thing Trevor and Rogue just did; can it really be done?"

For a short period of time, there was no answer. First, Mysticmon stared at Ashley with confusion, cocking her head to the side as if she didn't understand the question. Then, recognition; Mysticmon's head drew back as she considered the possibilities. This consideration was rather obvious, angering Ashley as she realized any answer she got could be as much a lie as the truth. Whether she believed or not would come down to what she was told.

"No, it is not possible for those who have become bound to remove said binding."

"You're lying!" Ashley responded before Mysticmon had even finished. This was not the answer she wanted to hear.

"And what proof do you have?" Mysticmon answered. "No doubt you've heard from another source the same fact I've just stated. You now have two digimon telling you a small fact about a reality we've lived in our whole lives. What proof do you have of any deception?"

Ashley didn't answer immediately. She was visibly angered but had to formulate an answer. "Because I trust Rogue; unlike you, she doesn't want to kill us all!"

"I don't want all of you dead; only Trevor, since I'm certain it is he whom the prophesy pertains to."

"And who is hurt the most by that lie?"

"Rogue; as soon as Trevor hears that she lied to him, he'll probably wind up taking all of her energy."

"That's not the lie."

"And I again beg your proof of this. Rogue as just as much motive to have lied as I. You do have a 3rd source though, Harry who has no reason to provide such a tale and whom you've already heard from. You may not trust me, but surely, you have no reason to doubt him."

Ashley didn't answer. Indeed, as far as she could tell, Harry had no reason to lie; Trevor provided Harry with no energy and he was well in doubt a human could fight, much less destroy an entire world. Though he did consider Trevor a bit of anomaly though his skills were purely survival as he had blatantly declared on many occasions. Still, Ashley had long decided that it was Rogue whom she trusted more and even with Mysticmon on Harry's side, she still felt certain Rogue was the one to trust here.

"Harry's lying," Ashley stated as she found Trevor.

Trevor had found a dungeon that was being well ignored by the others. While it appeared to have never been used, everyone still found it a little creepy. Trevor did as well, but he had developed an ability to ignore such feelings for the sake of being alone. Creepy had been his friend but, for once, it let him down.

"That's not what Mysticmon told you."

Ashley was noticeably shocked. She blinked a number of times as if a bright light had been shined in her face. Trevor didn't appear to notice, continued the task he had given himself. He was passing his time pounding on ice sculptures with his bare hands.

"How did you already know about that?" Ashley asked though she didn't expect an answer. In retrospect, he did have some ability to see through walls that he was never willing to explain. "I just got done talking with her!"

"Rogue called it kinetic sensitivity," Trevor answered with little hesitation. At this point, Ashely was unsure whether she was shocked more by his knowledge or his openness with it. "She said it means that I have the ability to pick up the kinetic energy of an object. This sense isn't dampened by matter, meaning I can pick up object though walls. The further away it is and the slow it's moving, though, the harder it is for me to pick it up."

Ashley's mind seemed to wander off as she tried to understand how this concept worked. From there it went to the things that could be done. As one specific possibility rolled across her mind, a shiver seemed to shake her whole body. It took a second before Ashley remember her task and brought herself back into focus.

"I think Mysti…I think she's…Is there…a way you could…"share" that sense?"

Trevor's fist made contact with the dummy and halted. For the first time during this conversation, he stopped his training and just froze. He looked down at the ground, motionless for a few seconds before answer. "Yes, but…It's selective. I'd rather not talk about it."

"Could I…?"

"No," Trevor answered without hesitation before returning to bashing ice sculptures. He was striking harder than before now. Ashley frowned for a moment before again trying to focus herself.

"Anyways, I think Mysticmon is lying as well. We both know she thinks you're destined to destroy the world. If removing your reason doesn't work, then at least she's made you easier to kill."

"Has she?"

"How much do you know about bonding?"

Ashley did her best to remember the text she had read on the subject. "Bonding allows to individuals with a capacity to hold energy form a link, allowing them to draw from a shared pool of energy instead of relying solely on their own energies. Upon the bond being a made, the individuals involved hear a voice, alerting them to the nature of their bond. Each individual has their own nature and each nature is an emotion. When one or both are experiencing the emotion of one's nature, that individual is given access to a greater share of the energy. When both nat…"

"Then understand this," It was only now that Ashley actually noticed what Trevor was "fighting". In a dessert, ice shouldn't exist so why where there vaguely humanoid blocks around. In that instant, it clicked that he was creating the blocks of ice just so he had something to punch. What's more; they were solid, as a shattering blow revealed. "My nature is hate and I'm getting more powerful."

Ashley was expressly disheartened. Tired of both the dummies and this conversation, Trevor left, heading for the stairs out. Ashley just watched as thought about all she had heard today. There was still one more source she could ask. Well, one more useful one anyway.

"They said what?"

"Both Harry and Mysticmon said you were lying about the unbinding thing and Trevor said he wants to believe you but he doesn't. I…I feel I have to ask…. Are you lying?"

"No!" Rogue answered without hesitation. She looked Ashley dead in the eyes with a sincere gaze. "It is a real thing; I would do anything to gain his trust again!"

"But that's just it; he says he's getting stronger because he thinks the bond is still intact."

"Is he?" Rogue appeared genuinely confused. She seemed to go into deep thought for a few moments before striking a revelation. "He must be getting "stronger" because, after years of being not even being away of this energy, his training is just accelerating as he's actually getting used actually manipulating the energy."

"So he'll eventually get as used to the energy as much as he can and his power will hit a halt. Then…"

"He'll just think he's reached as much hate for me as he can feel. I don't even think he hates me. I think he's just angry and he's almost forcibly interpreting it as hate. I mean, waiting it out might work but if he doesn't want to believe me…he might never again."

Both individuals looked disheartened. They're gazes were directed at the floor in a mixture of thought and depression. As they sat silently, the fact slowly sank in. Trevor would never….

"I got it!" Ashley suddenly burst. Rogue was shocked by the suddenness but welcomed the intrusion gladly. "But I can't explain it here; come on!" With those final words, Ashley yank the renamon to her feet and removed her from the building; soon, the desert itself.

A month went by. They're journey halted at the castle, which had finally risen from ground. The group had decided to put a hiatus on their quest home. Not that the desire was gone, but that it felt nice to lie around and relax compared to the ceaseless walking they had forced upon themselves.

The castle had made the perfect home, too. It provided running water, allowing for baths and showers that had long been ignored and clothing to take the place of over-worn rags. Food could be found in an ever filling stash. Though removed daily, the supply would refill almost as if you had never taken your selection. Lastly, a bed was provided for each individual in their own room. The perfect nature of each bed to the individual "meant" for it, providing the exact level of comfort it's user desired, almost as if it was meant for them. Perhaps, more disturbing though, were the articles of clothing that almost seemed tailor made. In the peace they were now experiencing, Rogue decided to remove her leather armor in favor of a more casual long-sleeve shirt and ankle length jeans.

Every day, Trevor moved downstairs and released an assault on his own creations. His rage soared as he found the ice easier to make, to shape into whatever form he desired it and shatter with ever increasing ease. Ashley was perturbed by his choice of a familiar figure for smashing but understood his reasoning. He had already begun to slow down, but not by much.

As Trevor went to take his next swing, the figure it was directed at suddenly dodged left. He was shocked, but only had time for the moment as suddenly the figure swung back, barely giving him room to duck back. The jab was quickly followed by a roundhouse aimed at his torso but Trevor just caught it and used the leg to fling his sudden attacker across the room. With ease, Rogue quickly twisted herself around and landed vertically against the wall before dropping to the floor and starting to bounce like she was boxing.

Seeing who his new sparring partner was, he chuckled a bit. "I was starting to wonder where you've been," he declared.

"I've been doing a bit of training myself but felt that something that could move and fight back." As if to drive the point home, Rogue lunged forward and gave a quick series of jabs. Trevor dodge the first two before catching her hand and holding it still.

"You know you, really don't have to do this!" Rogue was confused by the statement. Could he…no, he couldn't. Their plan was fool-proof. Trevor took the lack of response as a declining of his offer. "If we're truly to spar, why don't we move somewhere a little more open? This place barely works for one, there's no way, we could hold our fight here."

"We're not fighting," Rogue declared. "We're sparring. It's just a friendly little match to help the other grow."

Trevor chuckled again, further unnerving Rogue. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen him this happy since…right before she screwed up. "Too the roof then? I can carry Ashley if you like."

Ashley gasped, having thought she was hidden. She then uttered curses about his sixth sense before joining the two on their way out.

Trevor took an odd path out, almost intentional though he appeared to not be paying attention. "Hey, we're going to fight on the roof, care to watch?" Trevor called to Michael as he passed him.

"It's not a…" Rogue started but was ignored.

"Nah," Michael responded with a quick blink. Rogue question what exactly the action was but one big question was forming in her mind. "I think I'll just go find something else to entertain myself with."

Trevor nodded and then continued to the front door with Michael heading the opposite way. Trevor muttered something as their paths diverged; Rogue picked up the words "I" and "not" but could figure out the rest. Trevor was up to something but so was she so could she really hold it against him.

There was no stairway to the roof. The only way was about a 50 foot jump or a rather difficult climb for those who couldn't. Rogue couldn't decide whether Trevor's offer to give Ashley a lift was more to show off or actual sincerity. None the less, Trevor easily leapt the height, depositing Ashley safely on the roof. Rogue soon followed suit only with less cargo.

As Rogue landed, he heard Trevor giving Ashley some instructions. "Stay close to the edges but not to close. When we go to using our abilities, it can get dangerous in there but I'm not sure I can catch you if you fall off." Without allowing Ashley a chance to argue, he pushed her away and began walking towards the center.

Now even Ashley was nervous. She looked to Rogue, seeing if they were really to go to continue with this. Rogue slowly moved towards the center with Trevor.

"Last chance," Trevor declared. "If we get started, it's not going to end well."

Now Rogue was truly scared; the dead seriousness on his face didn't help her feel any better. She had been planning to fight Trevor for a while, the set up was well in the making but was that a threat? Was he planning to actually fight her? Could he be trying to kill her?

Rogue looked to Ashley one last time. Ashley made a slashing motion with her hand, asking her to cancel. Rogue looked at the ground for a moment before reverting to the gaze. With a slow shake of her head, she locked in her answer.

Rogue turned back to face…She ducked, not expecting the almost pre-emptive strike. She could feel the wind off Trevor's arm soar just over the fur on her head. Her long ear felt a jolt as they were forced back a bit.

The speed, if nothing else, caught Rogue off guard. She could feel it in the air Trevor generated and knew that he had been standing at in his place almost 20 feet away just a second before the attack. He immediately followed the attack with a flurry of blows that kept Rogue on the defensive. The intensity gave the feeling that if she failed one dodge.

'_I can't keep this up,'_ Rogue thought to herself. _'No! I can't let him win, I have to prove I'm no longer the source of his power. I have to beat him!'_

Rogue finally found a hole to escape; rolling towards him after an easily avoided haymaker. It didn't work to well as Trevor turned to face her and continue his assault as if not offset at all. Two more failed escapes and Rogue was beginning to find herself desperate. First, it was just a spark, but it quickly expanded into a full-fledged wall of flames, pushing Trevor back.

Finally, Trevor had been forced back. Though he took some damage from the flames, he managed to leap back and avoid most of the attack projected on him. He used his hands to braces his landing and quickly bring himself to a stop. A calm smirk filled his face as he stared up at the blazing eyes that had consumed Rogue's natural ones. This half smile seemed to infuriate her.

"And so it begins," Trevor whispered to himself as Rogue began to fling fireball after fireball. Trevor stood up and allowed a wall of ice to shield him. He stood perfectly still, almost as if he was mocking her attempt; the smug look on his face only confirmed it.

"Now do you know how I feel?" Trevor asked.

Words seemed beyond Rogue now. With a roar she leapt towards him, her fist just a ball of fire. Trevor easily avoided the obvious attack, leaving Rogue nothing to smash but the ground. And so she did, releasing a shockwave of fire on impact.

"You don't even realize it, but you've lost all control…"

With a loud growl, Rogue thrust a fist at his new location and unleashed a large burst of flames spreading as something between a wide cone and a short beam. Again, Trevor easily dodged. She didn't notice but he didn't even seem to move, just appear outside of where she attacked.

"You've set yourself up with one goal, one thing in mind…"

Rogue rushed at the Trevor only to find him gone again. Her attacks came out as quickly as she could find him. Somehow, he always managed to be one step ahead of her. Almost like he knew exactly what she would try next.

"You can't stop yourself any more. You refuse to listen even to yourself."

Now it was finally time, she could show she was still better than him. Prove, that they had both become strong together, something a bond couldn't facilitate. Of course, Rogue's thoughts were long gone. Trevor was right; all she cared about now was winning. And, as the time finally presented itself, she decided she would pull it off, at any cost.

"Until it's too late…." And, just this once, Trevor didn't move, not so much as subconscious flinch.


	4. True colors

A month ago…

Ashley excitedly dragged Rogue out of the room they had been talking in. Rogue didn't understand what she had come up with but attempted to make the dragging as little an effort as possible. They barely made it down the hall before they bumped into the other renamon.

Harry looked at them but said nothing. Ashley froze as she almost collided with him and found herself staring at him, holding an eye contact she was almost scared to break. He appeared stern, and upset but these weren't strongly emoted; Ashley questioned if they were really there or if it was just paranoia.

In any case, Harry turned and walked away, still having not said a thing. Rogue gave Ashley a confused look as the human stretched her neck to see that he kept walking away before proceeding to run off.

Ashley took Rogue far from the castle, trying to get out of the range of Trevor's X-ray vision. She kept running, not bothering to look back, trying to get away as fast as possible. Two figure watched them fleeing figures.

On the ground a Trevor watched the two disappear, not knowing where they were going but attempting to figure out the motivation for their actions. Sensing the other, he turned his head to see Harry on the roof, watching them with the same face from before. Feeling eyes upon him, Harry looked back down at Trevor. Trevor shrugged and walked back into the castle. It would be a bit longer till Harry did the same.

* * *

3 weeks ago…

Ashley watched as Rogue practiced with the new powers Ashley was offering. Rogue didn't appear any stronger than before but, then again, she had been bound to Trevor for most of the time Ashley had known her. She cheered as Rogue produced a wall of fire. At the moment, it was just a defensive maneuver but she would eventually turn it into a short-ranged weapon as well.

Suddenly Ashley felt a lurking presence. She told herself not to address it but she didn't want to bother Rogue with this. Rogue was too distracted fighting the imaginary targets to notice Ashley slip away.

Ashley kept an eye on Rogue till she could no longer and only then turned to find Harry waiting for her. She was a little shocked by how close he was but decided he could have placed himself there at any time. Now his emotions were certain; he knew what was going on.

"You heard what I…"

"Why did you lie to him?" Ashley asked, cutting Harry off in the middle of his question.

Harry was a bit taken aback but he had gotten his answer. "I'm not doing for…"

"…Yourself? You're doing it for her? Yeah right!" This was not expected at all. Harry was not prepared for her to take any sort of offensive. Ashley notice his surprise and decided to advance, causing him to instinctively back away. "You're jealous that she could care less if you existed!"

"And I know that!" Harry declared. "And if she doesn't now, she never will! It's just…he's a human!" Ashley folded her arms and glared at him with an icy look. "I don't mean that in a bad way! I just mean that, like the rest of you, he'll eventually go back home."

"Shows how much you know, he doesn't want to go back home!" Harry was shocked to hear this. It was the first he'd heard of this for Trevor but it wasn't the only human he'd heard it from.

"As a matter of fact, I don't want to go home anymore either! I didn't like our world! There, I'm unwanted; an exile within my own family."

"And being the most species here is better?"

"I don't believe that's true either. I mean, you and Rogue have stayed loyally with us the whole time. And Mysticmon…Has a reason that not just blatant racism; even if it is wrong. And I met Kotemon before the rest of you and he took care of me. And from what I've heard of Datamon, he didn't hate humans, he just sees them as a new experiment. So almost all of the digimon I've met don't care that we're human."

"The only reason Mysticmon doesn't want to kill you anymore is because she believes you're all planning to go back to your world."

"That's not the point! I'm happy here and feel safe. I don't want to go back!"

"Well, what about your family?" Harry had struck a bit of a note with that one. Ashley didn't fight back against that request, instead stepping back and giving Harry room to get a footing. "Trevor always talks about how important family is in your world. Was it really bad enough you don't think they miss you?

"You may feel safe here, but trust me, it's much safer on the other side," Harry declared as Ashley failed to reply. "I had a partner before Michael. He was much younger, had ran away from home and got lost in our world. His name was Tristan, and I did my best to protect him but he refused to go home either. He's dead now.

"Trevor will either go home eventually or die like my old partner. I'd rather it wasn't the latter but he appears to be just as stubborn. Either way, I'd rather not have Rogue go through having to suddenly find herself without him. I'd rather the whole affair was over so she could be ready to say good-bye; even if it's just a strong push through a portal." Harry didn't stay long beyond the last word. After having offered some time to think about it, He ran off.

Rogue appeared a short while later having noticed that Ashley had wandered off. She didn't see Harry and wondered what Ashley had been doing. "What's wrong?"

Silence sat for a few seconds before Ashley finally responded, "Nothing, let's get back to practice."

* * *

2 weeks ago…

Harry wandered by Michael who was currently gorging himself on their boundless supply of food. Now, there was nothing _wrong_ with it aside from it was something he had never really done before. Not only was the amount almost sickening to the near anorexic, but the slobbish way in which he did ate was horrific. Harry wasn't quite sure how to voice his opinions but Michael caught on before he could figure it out.

Michael promptly stopped eating after noticing Harry. He set what he had in his hands down and took his time finishing what was in his mouth. After swallowing, he took a deep breath, exhaling loudly. "I know I've never done this in front of you before but, back in my world, I used to eat like this all the time.

"It wasn't much of a secret that I loved food. I liked all kinds of food, you could put anything in front of me and I'd eat it. Heck, I'd eat it even if you didn't. I ate heavy at every meal and would eat more when I felt like it. I wasn't hard for me to feel like it either.

"I was what I call an emotional eater; I was hungry any time I felt any emotion strongly; If I was happy, I'd eat to celebrate and when I was upset, I'd eat for the comfort it brought me. It wasn't a healthy diet, but it had never bothered me.

"Then my dad lost his job. We couldn't afford my usual diet. I felt like I was dying. For a while, Michele didn't eat a bite, she'd just give it to me cause she knew I was hungry. I didn't care until it put her in a hospital.

"After that, I couldn't eat for a week…well, a day, but to fat me, that felt like a week. I reduced my intake and eventually got to a normal weight. It took a while to convince her that I no longer "needed" it but we got to living a normal healthy life again. She had always been so nice to me. I think she care more about me than dad dead."

The memory of his sister had dampened his mood. Now, a moment of silence commenced as Harry didn't feel breaking it. Finally Michael looked up and noticed Trevor standing in the corner.

Michael started to speak but Trevor shook his head and put out a hand. "Don't worry about it. I was done for today anyway." Without another word, Trevor departed heading elsewhere. Harry shot Trevor a questioning look but decided it was time to remove Michael from his funk.

"So, why have you suddenly reverberated?"

Michael was confused for a moment. He got a thoughtful look on his face for a moment before understanding the question. "Oh, reverted…to eating a lot again. Well, simply put, I have no reason not to. From what I've gathered, Food is merely a source of energy here. Everything I eat gets converted to pure energy that I just use to preform my usual activities. Also, since we've been bound, you can use my energy so eating extra actually helps since you seem to generate no energy of your own."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I swear you never eat. You have no energy in your body and you're using all of mine. And it doesn't help that when you get in a fight, you use up ten times more than usual. I always wind up very tired afterwards. Could you maybe enjoy a meal of your own every now and then and take some of the pressure off of me?"

With his last words, Michael emphasized his point by taking a plate he hadn't touched much and pushing it towards Harry. Harry looked at the plate with dread, like some unavoidable fate had just been ushered upon him. After a few seconds, he grimaced and started working on a small portion.

"Thank you!" Michael exclaimed as he began to gather the rest of the items and left to dispose of them. Michael promptly expelled what he could and used another exit to do the same.

* * *

Minutes ago…

"What going on up there?" Harry asked Michael as he found him in a similar situation to before. Just moment ago, explosions seemed to roar from above. At first, he thought it was some form of digi-world thunder but the sky was pretty clear.

"Trevor and Rogue are fighting." Michael quickly declared without moving away from his food.

"Oh, I got to see this," Harry immediately responded and rushed off.

* * *

Rogue could hear the reverberation of the last blast still ringing in the air. Smoke bit at her lungs but she didn't car. As she saw the blue dust mixed in with the smoke, a single feeling rushed through her body: Triumph. No, that couldn't be right…something was wrong…

"Oh my god, how can you fall for that?" A voice yelled out.

Ashley looked at the new observer that at showed up with shock. She had just taken a sigh of relief and now her heart skipped a beat for what must have been the thousandth time that hour. "What are you doing?"

"Helping," Harry whispered back before yelling at the combatants again. "It was just a mirror he had used to trick you. The real him is standing behind you."

With a jerk of her head, Rogue looked behind her. Indeed, her prey was behind her, her battle wasn't over yet. Her vision darkened till Trevor was all that she could see as her assault began. This time, though, Trevor didn't have a dummy doing all the dodging for him.

Trevor panic a bit when he realized what Michael had caused. His plan had been simple, allow Rogue to use the new bond she had formed with Ashley and cause her to force a digivolution. Using the smoke and mirror trick he had developed, "he'd dodge" her attacks while explaining that this was what it felt like when she forced him to digivolve those two previous times. The trick to his success, though, was a new bond he had formed himself with Michael.

Trevor narrowly avoided the first attack and a sweeping kick that followed brushed the hairs of his head. _'I have to calm down,'_ Trevor told himself. If there was one thing he hated the most about his bond to Michael, was the new emotion chosen for him: Joy. In his effort to show Rogue what he felt like, he now had to experience her side; forcing an emotion upon himself he definitely didn't feel though. Slowly, though, the smile crept back on his face and the attack become easier to navigate. Just when he felt he had a handle on it again, he felt a strange energy consume him.

Rogue seemed to freeze as Trevor took a few steps away. Actually, he quickly discerned, the world seemed to freeze as this new energy consumed him. It wasn't like anything he had felt before. Much against his will, though, a voice seemed to roar out from him. "Humon digivolve to…"

This was different from the other times. He had digivolved twice before and then he didn't announce it, he didn't even know it had happened till he looked at himself afterwards. With this revelation, the first feeling that followed, was pain.

Trevor felt every bone as it elongated, making him taller and his limbs longer. He felt the muscles as they stretched and grew, not only to compensate for his new bones but also making him even stronger. Shards of ice formed around his left wrist doubling back along his arm into a narrow shard to serve as a shield. Over his head, a helm formed that his head just seemed to melt into.

"Knightmon!" Trevor's new form cried out. Though the shard seemed unwieldy, especially in its method of attachment, it felt like as a feather and natural as his own hair. Rogue made a blind lunge at him but in an instant, he was gone from sight.

"What have I done?" Harry muttered to himself. His words not breaking Ashley's look of awe.

To follow up his transformation, Trevor had ducked away and punched the ground, causing a number of pillars of ice to form up. "My turn," He declared as he stood up and began to move his hands around in a method that seemed rather random. "I'm sorry I had to leave but it looks like you'll just have to find a new target to prove your better than."

Rogue looked around frantically. Trevor was nowhere to be seen. Her vision gradually adjusted so she could make out the details of the area around her. However, there was one figure that kept appearing in her vision. She quickly toned out the voice and all by her new target.

"What is Rogue in all of the pillars of ice that Trevor created?" Harry asked though he felt the answer was obvious.

"It's not what you see, that important!" Trevor called out. At that very moment, Rogue leapt at the first pillar and shattered it into pieces. "I'm altering the ice, changing the density of each column so that light gets diffracted as it travels through it." Rogue launched into another post, causing it to shatter similarly. In response to the loss of columns, Trevor resurrected some more. "While not technically correct, light travels both ways. So while you may be seeing her in the ice, she is seeing you."

"Now, some might ask why I'm distracting her instead of trying something along the lines of freezing her till she calms down. Quite frankly, I don't think that'd work, and even if I believed it could work, again, frankly, I don't like you. As everyone else you start as an apathetic interested. But everything you do is greedy and only seems to piss me off further.

"First there was your desire to bond with Harry. I'm not certain, that was just a means to get his energy and thus get yourself more power. Rogue, on the other hand, had to be forced into binding by me. She had no desire for the power even if I agreed I had no need of it.

"Then there's the fact you absorb every enemy you defeat. Hell, you'd probably absorb allies too if you got the chance. You have no respect for either the living or the dead.

"Now, you've tried to pit me and Rogue against each other for the second time. As if you hadn't done enough damage the first time. I had already destroy my own trust on my own, I didn't need your help.

"But what pissed me off the most, is what I've found out about my last partner: my brother."

"What?!" Ashley exclaimed at the announcement.

"I thought he looked familiar," Harry nervously muttered to himself.

"I can't imagine how badly you wound up abusing him as a partner. With the lies and deception you give everyone, it's amazing Michael has trusted you this long. And then (just when he needed you the most) you abandoned him; leaving him to die in Datamon's lair."

Ashley gave Harry a stunned look. "He offered himself to Datamon," Harry tried to explain. "How was I supposed to know what would happen?"

"He was the last of that set of digidestined. When he gave himself to Datamon, what was the exchange? Where did you have to go? Why did you leave?" Harry didn't answer. He looked at the ground as if in deep thought.

"You don't want to say it, that's fine, I've seen the recordings. You just wanted to go home, right? What gave you the right to deem my brother a worthy sacrifice, soothing him and telling him everything was going to be alright; lying to him and saying that Datamon wasn't going to do anything bad to him."

At this point, Rogue smash the only pillar Trevor had left up, a pillar right next to him that had kept him out of Rogues sight. Shards of ice splashed in his general direction but he didn't seem to feel them.

"This will be your only warning. You have ten minutes to take care of whatever you like. Acquire food, some more clothes, break you bond with Michael or not; I could care less but I feel you'll regret it if you don't. After those ten minutes though, if I ever see your face again, I will destroy you, and you won't be coming back from it!"

Trevor held his hand out and flexed his fingers. Harry heard something to shattering glass and saw a pillar he hadn't even noticed explode in front of him. Understanding the signal he was given, he rushed away. It would be a long while before he would start wondering if he actively chose to run or if the action was made out of panic.

_You failed us; the heroes of light still live. They have made a fool of you. You are no match for them, run for now though we shall return. For you are not the only one who hates them…_


End file.
